


Family

by Sometimes_Is_A_Long_Time



Category: Dorohedoro
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Mild Hurt/Comfort, One Big Happy Family, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28507590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sometimes_Is_A_Long_Time/pseuds/Sometimes_Is_A_Long_Time
Summary: Fujita goes through his day running into different members of the En Family, this leads him to a newfound appreciation for everyone.Just exploring family dynamics.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Family

Fujita was more than surprised when he woke up to a quiet room. Most mornings, he would be abruptly woken by either the sound of his alarm, or- more often than not- Ebisu barging in to ask him for some obscure favor. Fujita had found that his habit of turning on his alarm was becoming much less common before he went to bed because of this. He took a moment to sit up and listen, waiting for someone- or something- to break the peace. Nothing changed.

Fujita noticed it had slowly become easier and easier to get out of bed in the morning. For a brief period of time, after the loss of his partner, he dreaded waking up. Waking up meant he had to realize what had happened, he had to confront his total lack of ability and initiative- _he had to live another day as a coward_. Of course, some nights he couldn't sleep, the rage boiling over inside him. He wanted to bring justice and pain to those who wronged him. Now that he was recognized by the family, he would be able to do just that. Maybe that's why it became easier.

_'I wonder where Ebisu is?'_ Fujita couldn't help but notice the lack of the girl's presence. Ever since he had brought her to the family, she's always been stuck to his side. A tinge of fear grew inside him, but Fujita brushed it off for the time being. This was a good opportunity to work on himself- more importantly- work on his magic. After getting ready for the day, Fujita found himself worrying again as he left his room. His wandering mind met him with a rough body colliding with his.

"Fujita! Watch where you're going." It was Shin. It seemed the blond was also busy, jogging in the hallway towards the back entrance of the garden where he would often run unbothered.

Fujita fell to the ground from the force, confusion painted on his face as he looked at the man above him, "S-Sorry."

"Be careful next time." Shin reached down and pulled the boy up to his feet. A small pat was given to Fujitas shoulder before the blond continued on his way.

Sometimes, Fujita would ask to join Shin on his runs, it was important to stay fit and healthy to be a good sorcerer. Shin would always advise against it, but he never minded when the boy tagged along behind him. This was probably due to the fact that after a few miles, Fujita would be out of breath and more than 10 steps behind. Fujita was never fond of running, but Shin brought out a newfound appreciation to the exercise.

_'I should've asked where Ebisu was.'_ Fujita continued his way to the kitchen, the thought of Ebisu crossing his mind for the 3rd time. Fujita wouldn't say he's a tense person, but panic came easy these days. He didn't want her to get hurt- but more importantly, he didn't want _himself_ to get hurt again. Someone like Shin was strong, he could defend himself with little issue- but Ebisu? Ebisu was still strong- she was stronger than Fujita- but she was also a kid. She was also the closest friend he had now. As weird as it was to admit, Fujita was horrified by that fact.

The kitchen held only a few cooks, all seemingly busy and distracted. Fujita never got used to people making food for him, so normally he would slide in and grab food from the pantry to eat as a meal. Today's breakfast consisted of a couple rolls of sweet bread and an apple that looked a little more bruised than edible.

_'That's my luck.'_ Fujita took a bite out of the apple with distaste. At least the sweet rolls weren't too bad. This time, Fujita found himself distracted with a pleasant smell coming from one of the sitting rooms. Curiosity came over him as he glanced into the room. Another familiar face was seen lounging on one of the velvet couches, enjoying a cup of tea with a heavy book in his hand.

"Oh, hi, Fujita!" It was Chota, "Do you need something?"

Fujita shook his head, glancing again at the teapot that sat on the glass table. That must've been where the smell was coming from. Chota had noticed.

"Are you sure?" He set his book down abruptly, startling Fujita.

"Yeah- uh." Fujita scratched the back of his head, "I actually have some stuff to do, but thanks." On most occasions, the boy would've taken up the offer, sitting down to have a drink of tea. Chota was a great conversationalist, and Fujita learned a lot of interesting facts about the family members. Fujita always felt closer to the family after every conversation, although, he never considered himself to really be part of it. For business purposes- and all verbal purposes- he would say he was, but there wasn't much to hold that fact. He was never part of anything interesting, like the stories he was told, and he never knew any of the weird hobbies or likings of some of the family until he was told second-hand. Fujita was simply a bystander- that's what he always was.

"Are you going to practice your magic?" Chota's comment took Fujita away from his thoughts.

A flush of embarrassment crept ok his cheeks, "Is it that obvious?"

"Don't be embarrassed, practice is what makes you better." Fujita wanted to be reassured with Chota's statement, but he only felt defeated by it. Fujita had practiced for a long time, but he was still the weakest sorcerer he knew.

Fujitas normal spot was an isolated space behind one of the large trees in the garden. There, he was able to practice with no one to notice him. Shin was right to pick a place like this for some privacy.

"Come on!" Fujita gritted his teeth. It was as though his hand was simply incapable of producing anything but small spurts of smoke. He had been practicing for hours now, each attempt only draining his energy for a more than mediocre result.

_'Something must be wrong with me.'_ Fujita looked at his hands. They felt worthless. They couldn't produce anything worthwhile, and there wasn't even any strength to make up for it. _Fujita was just weak_ . No matter how much he tried, at the end of the day, he will never be a reliable defense against anything- and certainly not against an enemy. Fujita was never the strong one, he may be able to hold an argument and voice his thoughts, but he was simply that- _a voice_.

"Damn it!" Fujita clenched his fists, his foot kicking the tree in front of him. One swift kick left a throbbing pain shooting up his leg. A gasp left the boy's mouth as he collapsed to the ground. Numbness came over his right leg, bringing tears to Fujita's eyes.

_'Of course I managed to hurt myself in such a stupid way.'_ He wiped the tears away, sitting up to look at the injury. Not much could be seen from the outside, but after removing his shoe, it revealed a swollen ankle.

"Shin? Oh, Fujita! What are you doing out here?" Fujita looked over his shoulder to see Noi. She had a curious expression on her face, one that quickly turned to one of concern as she noticed the boy's ankle.

"Oh wow, that looks awful. Let me fix that for you." Noi swiftly moved towards Fujita, squatting down to get a better look at the injury. Noi's magic worked quickly, leaving no trace of any problem. "How did you manage to do that?"

"I-I fell…" Fujita bit his tongue, thankful that she didn't witness the complete embarrassment that was the incident that caused his wound.

"Oh- well be careful!" Noi smiled, patting Fujita on the shoulder before standing, "Have you seen Shin?"

Fujita nodded, "He was jogging-"

"Got it, thanks Fujita!" Noi exchanged another smile before running off towards another part of the garden. Fujita opened his mouth to get another word in, but was a moment too late.

"Thank you…." A small sigh left the boy. Noi was always kind to him, never questioning him like many other people. She always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to help him, yet Fujita was always lacking in appreciation- not that he tried to. He wanted to thank her more. Fujita stood, dusting off the dirt on his shorts. He would have to thank Noi at another time.

Fujita spent the rest of the afternoon in his room, dwelling over his ability and his future. The family will most likely kick him out sooner or later, all he did was take up space. If he hadn't been one of the few sorcerers to make it out of The Hole after encountering those sorcerer killers, he would have never been called by En. He was being used for information, at least that's how Fujita saw it. What was even worse was the complete lack of knowledge he even had on the situation, everything that could be said was already said. Once he gets kicked out, Fujita would surely become an outcast. What sorcerer would be such a coward to leave their partner to die? What sorcerer would be so useless?

_'I should just enjoy this for the little time I have left.'_ Fujita stood up, sick of the horrible thoughts that never seemed to cease when he was alone like this. Another walk through the mansion would surely clear his mind.

The hallways were empty. When Fujita first arrived, he was always uneased by the barren, endless hallways, but now, he found them to have a certain charm. There was nothing to worry about as he walked down them, he could see the space around him. It was open- _but it was safe_. The large windows lining some of the halls were also a wonderful sight. The scenery was more than beautiful, it was clear a lot of thought was put in the placement of every tree and structure in sight. Fujita found himself looking out one of these windows longer than he had intended. By the time the boy looked back down the hallway, he saw a rather unusual figure. Kikurage had made their way to the same hallway where Fujita was. Fujita was shocked to see Kikurage unaccompanied, usually En or even Ebisu was only a step away from them. They were a very valuable member of the family- unlike Fujita- so he couldn't blame them.

"Hey, Kikurage." Fujita bent down, extending his hand in a friendly manner to coax them. There was little hesitation as Kikurage happily made their way to sniff Fujitas hand.

"Aw, I thought you didn't like me." A small smile crept on the boy's face as he pet Kikurage. This was unusual behavior, but Fujita was grateful for Kikurages rather friendly attitude. He was needing something to brighten his day.

"You look rather happy." It was En.

Fujita almost fell back, regaining his balance just before toppling on his side, "En!" Kikurage seemed to be upset from the lack of attention, pacing back down the hallway in search for better company.

"What are you doing here?" En took notice of the scenery, much like Fujita had just before seeing Kikurage.

"I was just…. Looking around." Fujita stood up, clearly tense. En was uninterested, not bothering to respond or carry a conversation with the boy. Fujita felt weak, even in the presence of someone much more powerful than him, he was buckling under pressure. A lump in his throat formed, wanting to speak, but unsure if this was the right time.

"What?" En noticed of course, "Do you have something you want to say?"

"How do you do it?" Fujita fidgeted with his hands, not meeting En's gaze.

"Do what?"

" _Everything_." Fujita wasn't ashamed to admit it, but he had always hoped he would grow up to be something greater- something like En. A pause.

"What kind of question is that?" En scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say to Fujita.

Fujita shook his head, "I don't know, my apologies." He expected En to leave after that, but was surprised to hear another comment.

"You've been practicing." It seems as though everyone was aware of Fujitas futile attempts of growing as a sorcerer. Another lump formed in the boy's throat- _this was shame._

"Maybe some people are just… not meant to be that talented." Fujita mumbled under his breath.

"Hm, maybe." En agreed, walking past Fujita, "Good thing you aren't one of those people."

Fujita turned his head, watching En turn the corner. A heavy feeling filled Fujitas chest as he returned to his room.

Dinner was never something Fujita necessarily looked forward to, it was just another meal, but today, it felt different. The dining room was already filled with the many family members, all talking in their own private conversations that Fujita always listened to, but never joined. There was no room to speak, not that Fujita ever had something to add. As he sat down, he noticed an empty seat beside him. Ebisu was still absent.

"Where's-" Fujita's question was cut off abruptly with the sound of running from the hallway.

"Fujita!!" Ebisu slid through the door, a piece of paper in her hands. Fujita was greeted with that said piece of paper shoved in his face.

"Ebisu!" Fujita couldn't help but laugh, happy to see his friend after a day of their absence.

"This is for you." Ebisu shoved the paper into the boy's hands before sitting down in her seat beside him.

With a quick glance at the paper, it was clear that it was a drawing of sorts. Fujita examined it to notice it was a portrait. It was a portrait of _him_.

"She spent all day drawing that." Noi spoke up from across the table, clearly happy at the exchange between the two.

"Really?" While it wasn't the best drawing he'd ever seen, it was rather detailed and...accurate? Fujita set the paper down on the table, looking at Ebisu with a smile, "Thank you, Ebisu."

Ebisu nodded, proud of her gift. Fujita rested his head on his palm, staring at the drawing for another moment. This was the first time someone had ever drawn him.

Looking back up, Fujita noticed something. Everyone was smiling- everyone was happy. There weren't many occasions when the whole family sat down to share a formal meal, and the chances of that happening on a random day like this was more than low. Yet, here everyone was. What was even more odd, was the completely warm feeling Fujita had. He was always out of place, or at least that's how he felt, but right then, he wasn't. Fujita was sitting at the table, and no one looked at him twice, no one gave a weird stare, no one laughed at him- they were just happy with his company. Fujita never realized it before, but everyone in the family _always_ seemed happy in his company, there was never a moment when one of them looked disgusted or disappointed. They were helpful, and understanding. They were kind. Fujita never considered himself part of the family until then.


End file.
